British Folk Musician Neil Halstead Pauses Time With An Exclusive Acoustic Set + Interview

Maximum Performance

Tiffany LeeSeptember 29, 2012

Slowdive and Mojave 3 alum Neil Halstead is back with his third solo album of introspective folk music that leads the listener to become suspended in the moment. A fusion of 60s British folk with flourishes of American country, Halsteads music shies away from effects pedal-tapping soundscapes of Mojave 3 while still retaining the spirit of their music.

Halstead told Y! Music that when he first went solo, he found himself in some unfamiliar territory when people would approach him with a guitar and a wide-eyed request to play something. Having relied on electronic components for so long in Mojave 3, Halstead focused his solo efforts on being as lo-fi as possible. And it worked: The man hardly needs more than his voice, an acoustic guitar and a listener to be as affective and moving as a full orchestra.

The musician continued on to talk about his transition from the abstracts of Mojave 3 to his solo career, shoegaze, going analog and working with contemporary folk deity Jack Johnson. But whatever the influences, inspiration and intentions behind his music, Halstead's lithe melodies and vocals have the kind of beauty that keeps you listening in the car long after you've arrived at your destination.

Neil Halstead's latest album Palindrome Hunches is out now. Watch him not look at his shoes and perform "Digging Shelters", "Spin The Bottle" and "Tied To You":